Apparatus for flattening or shaping the sides of cigarettes.



Na 828,799. PATENTED AUG. 14, 1996. L. APTEKMAN & G, G. 9. VAN LENNEP. APARATUS FOR FLATTENINQ (3B. SHidING THE SIDES 0F GIGARETTBS.

APPLIGATIGK FILED SEPT. 8. 1905.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES ()GILVY VAN LENNEP, (3F ENGLAND.

APPARATUS F03 FLATTENiNQ 03 SHAPlNG 'F-HE SIDES Of ClfiAfiE'ilTES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 14, 1993.

Application filed September 8 1905. Serial No. 277,608.

Ordinary cigarettes are usually made cylindricsl in shape, the tobacco used being in'closed in a thin cylindrical case of paper; but sometimes for convenience of packing and other reasons it is preferred that such cylindrical cigarettes should be flattened st two opposite sides, so that in cross-section their shape is rectan uler with two opposite sides flattened to t e desired extent, the

edges connecting them bein curved moreor less to the shape of part of t e original ci srette, or sometimes it is desired that t. e flatten-ed sides should not be perfectlv flat from side to side in end view, but slightly curved or arched from side to side. 7

The subject of our resent invention ice machine into which cy indrical cigarettes are fed in one by one and after having been properly flattened upon two opposite sides in the way described are delivered from the machine in the finished shape required. 7

The accompanying drawings are in illustration of our invention.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the machine Fig. 2 is an end View. Fig. 3 is a. transverse section. Fig. 4 is a detailed View of the segment e, showing the curved recess f.

In order to put our invention in operation, we take a frame a, of wood or other suitable material and of sufficient length to properly complete the cigarettes, which are fed throu hit from end to end. Upon the part p, be ted to the frame a by bolts 2), we make a shallow. longitudinal recess or channel 55, (see Fig. 3 extending from end to end, and we arrange in this channel the up or part of an endless belt or band 0, of suitalile flexible material or fabric, which passes round pulleys d d at each end of the frame a, by re volving which the belt 0 can be made to travel continuously along in or upon the groove or recess 6, which recess is in the case where the flattened sides ol" the cigarettes .are intended to be slightly curved or arched transversely hollowed slightly transversely to correspond, as shown in Fig. 3. When, therefore, the endless band c is made to travel forward round the rollers 11 d at the ends of the frame a, it passes along the longitudinal groove or recess 5 and can be bent down by suitable pressure, so that it takes the same curve transversely as the curved recess.

Above the frame a we arrange a second hollow adjustable longitudinal bar or frame, preferably made in separate se 'inents e c e, as shown, the lower side of which is provided with a longitudinal transverselynurved recess f, as shown in 4, c-orres olmling exactly with the lower recess Z) described. This upper frame or the segments. "'ecf which it is composed is fixed upon the rtop of the frame it of the machine, as shown in A ate height above the lower-longitudinal recess 6, which can be adjusted to 'theirsctdistance re uired by means of the vertical slot 8 in the rains e, and at or near each of its ends we errae a. pulley g g, ronnd which passes an enlfiiss bend it, similelr to the first one, 0, already described, and exactly opposite the latter, and we cause this band to travel forward together with and the upper endless bandit, atfisuch a'lielgt and .pqosition thei the ace'btween them and t e lower band 6 at t e end in which the cigaretteswhieh are to be flattened are introdimer} is slightly less than the diameter of the cylindrieelci arettes, while the s ace be tween them at the end where the ettened cigarettes are delivered is reduced to that of the thickness of the finished flattened cigarettes. 1

W e prefer to arrange between the segments e of the u per frame a sufficient number of rollers 11, oFwood or other suitable Inateriel, turning in bearings on the sides of the frame 0, their peripheries being slightl concave in transverse section, as shown in ig. 3, so that as they press upon the endless bend it, which presses over the cigarettes passing under them, t e cigarettes are flattened end at the same time the flattened surfaces are made slightly convex transversel At the end of the machine where the shed cigarettes exactly at the same speed as the letter... E e. arrange the frames or segments s ewing;

are delivered we fix upon the spindles of the pulleys toothed wheels of the same size, which gear with each other, so that when one of them is made to revolve at the pro er speed the two bands d and h travel forwar at exactly the same speed, gradually compressing the cylindrical cigarettes which have been introduced at the other end and finally delivering them in the desired flattened condition; or, as shown in drawings, the spindle of the lower toothed Wheel may carry a chain-wheel geared by a chain k to a second chain-wheel Z upon a shaft m, driven from any suitable power by fast and loose pul leys n n. A hand-wheel 0 may be fixed upon the same shaft.

Rollers p p, rovided with springs keep the bands 0 and h properly stretched. i Iinged brushes 1' r, also provided with springs s s, keep the surface of the bands 0 it properly cleaned. t is a guard to prevent injury to the person feeding the cigarettes into the machine. The flattened cigarettes are delivered at u.

The details of construction and arrangement may be varied more or less, as may be found advisable.

Having fully described our invention, what we desire to claim and secure by Letters Patent is 1. In a shaping-machine for cigarettes, the combination with the lowerframe, rovided with a shallow longitudinal channe an up per frame having a similarly-constructed channel, a belt passing along the first channel, means for driving the belt, a second flexible belt traveling along the channel of the u per frame, said belt being arranged at a slight incline, so that the cigarettes passing through the channels are flattened, and delivering means disposed at the outer ends of the channels, substantially as described.

2. In a clgarette-machine for flattening the sides of cigarettes, a frame provided with a longitudinal channel, a driven belt passing through said channel, a longitudinal adjustable member provided with a channel disposed adjacent to said frame, the channel in the latter member being in registr Y with that of the frame, a second endless exible belt passing through said second channel, means for driving the belts, and means for delivering the cigarettes after they have passed through the channel, substantially as set forth.

3. In a machine of the type set forth, a frame provided with a channel, a longitudinal adjustable member disposed adjacent to said frame, provided with a channel adapted to register with the channel of the frame, belts passing through each of said channels, and means for driving the belts, substantially as described.

4. In a machine for flattening cigarettes, a frame provided with a channel somewhat convex in cross-section, and a second frame provided with a similar channel, said frame bein adjustable and slightly inclined from the orward end of the machine to the rear end of the machine, belts passing in each of said channels, means for driving the belts, and a delivery means dis osed at the ends of the channels, substantial y as set forth.

5. In a device for shaping and flattening cigarettes, a main frame, and an adjustable frame, said latter frame being inclined from the forward portion of the machine to the rear thereof, conveyers or belts working within each of said frames, and means for driving the same, substantially as described.

6. In a machine of the character described, a pair of frames, one of said frames being adjustable and inclined with relation to the other of said frames, each frame being provided with a longitudinal channel, belts passing through said channels, means for operatlng the belts, and delivery means adapted to engage with the cigarettes as they emerge from the channels, substantially as described.

In witness whereof We have hereunto set our hands in the presence of two witnesses.

LAZARIDAS AITEKMAN. CYRIL CHARLES OGILVY VAN LENNEP.

Witnesses:

ARTHUR E. EDWARDS, ALEX. N. FAREWELL. 

